New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-25
I COOP ENGLISH TDEi.

The present Administration has deliberately
antagonzcd the shipping interests of the coUn-
try. one Of It's earliest acts was the withhold
ing from American steamship companies oil
an appropriation which had been voted by
Congress for their benefit. 1t dsorganzcd
The foreign mail service, subjected American
exporters to vcXatiouS delay in correspondence
and steadily promoted the interests Of English
steamship corporations. II was largely rcspoh-
c,blc for the withdrawal Of the American Inc
to Australia II drove = leading shpouldcr
INTO bankruptcy, and IN various ways arraycd
Itself in hostility to American commerce III
American bottoms: 1t has neglected to meet
he Argentine Republic halfway and thereby
surrendered To an English line the liberal SUD
.idy offered for American steamships ply
NJ regularly between Bucnos AyicS
md Ncw-York This is the record the
\dministratio has made. Yet when one OF
= chief representative was the guest OF the
chamber Of Commerce Of this city he considered
it prudent to affect interest in the revival OF
American shipping. to insinuatc that It's iuin
was brought about by protective tanii' and
that under free trade its prosperity would be
restored.
Mr.. Dcpcw's reply to Secretary Lamar :
lamentations over the decline Of the merchant
marine was direct and incsiye. He proposed
,hc adoption 81 the system Of liberal mail con-
tracts with steamship lines followed by every
maritime nation in Europe. He declared that
nropcr mail subsidies would build up mcr-
chant marine which would carry the nag once
more over ali the waters Of the world IurhiSh
4 ready made Navy in time OF war ana chpio!
east shpyards on the coasts. inns Is inc
uuIicy against which the Administration stcrnly
,ct il, face when it deprived the American lines
even Of the bcggarly compensation for mail
transportation granted by Congress Yet 1t Is
the policy steadily followed by Germany
France. Italy and England in the development
IF their commerce. German ana fr'hCh
steamship lines are allowed the most iOcrai
rates OF compensation for mail service. Italy
ms established an enormous trade with SCUM
America nv means Of mail subsidies. England
during forty years of free trade, has steadily
| fostcrcd the interests Of its merchant marine
bv generous payments for mail transportation.
II is tho uniform policy Of the commcrciai
nations Of Europe; yet the Administration
undcr the coaching Of economists OF the Holman
ordcr has arrlycd Itself in hostility to 1t.
Within the present year arrangements have
hcen made in England for granting extensive
subsidies to steamship lines in the PacIhc
Ocean in connection with the Canadian PacIhc
Railroad. So far az the routes to Ncw-Lcaland
and Australia were concerned, the Crown col
onics were expected to offer subsidies by when
tho san Francisco mail service might be broken
nm But in order to establish a new steamship
route 10 China and Japan, England has agreed
to pay 1925, 900 for monthly mails aho
: 100 600 for n fortnightly service, PROVIDED
Canada supplies $4,000 or 100000 for tho
same object This 100000 is in addition to
subsidy Of ~ s25, 900 awarded this year by th'
british Government to the PcnnSuLar ano
Oriental Company alone for mail communica
t;ons with the far Fast by the Sucz Canal ant
,hc Cape. This is the English method o.
binding up a merchant marine and Of develop
mo foreign trade. Why do American Free
Traders like Secretary Lamar and Chcap-Jacl
rcformcIs like Mr. Holman oppose the same
system here?